The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy

by Padraic Colum, Willy Pogány (Illustrator)

Travel back to a mythical time when Achilles, aided by the gods, waged war against the Trojans. And join Odysseus on his journey through murky waters, facing obstacles like the terrifying Scylla and whirring Charybdis, the beautiful enchantress Circe, and the land of the raging Cyclopes. Using narrative threads from The Iliad and The Odyssey, Padraic Colum weaves a stunning adventure with all the drama and power that Homer intended.

Genres: Classics, Mythology, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adventure

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Celtic Revival. (Source)

Reviews

[Johnnie]

This is the perfect ORAL reading for young children. The language is beautiful and very similar to the word pictures Homer displayed for his audience. I recommend that adults that missed out on The Iliad and The Odyssey as students begin their TRUE education by reading this version. The list of characters is HUGE so this easy to read version puts everyone is place on the stage of Ancient Greece. If you have never read Greek Mythology have your smartphone off for Googling because even though the books is "for children" there is nothing light weight about this volume.

While picture books help children stay focused on the story, this book with clean black and white drawings forces the child to create images of his own. We all know we remember what we create longer and clearer than what we merely see. My sons loved this book as children and reread as young adults. I am reading it again right now for only the 20th time. It doesn't get better than this.

[Nickie]

I read this child's revision of The Iliad and The Odyssey to my three children ages 7-10. We all liked this introduction to Greek literature.
I was encouraged to purchase lectures on both stories from The Teaching Company. The lectures have opened my mind to help prepare me for when I do read the full English translation of both stories.
You are introduced to all these names you might have heard growing up. Like Achilles, Paris, Hector, the Greek gods,Helen, Agamemnon,and on and on.
This is a good way to start with great classics.

[Dulci]

Really good book! I read this to my kids, ages 5, 9, and 10. We all really enjoyed reading this as we were studying ancient times.

We avoided the confusion that other reviewers have mentioned by making a little chart to put on the wall. Whenever we came across someone like Paris in the story, we could refer to the chart to remind us of who that was.

I never read (nor in all honesty do I intend to read) the unabridged versions of Homer's tales. This book was all the story with a little less labor in the reading. What more can a busy mom ask for? :)

[Becky]

I really enjoyed reading Padraic Colum's The Children's Homer, a retelling--originally published in 1918--of the Iliad and the Odyssey. You should know from the start that it is a prose retelling.

The story opens by introducing readers to Telemachus, the now grown son of Odysseus. When Telemachus was just a baby--just a month old--his father went off to war, to fight in the Trojan War. The war took ten long, agonizing years. But it's been over for just as many--ten long years. Telemachus and his mother, Penelope, need to know: Is Odysseus dead or alive? If he's alive, where is he? Why hasn't he come home yet? They are not the only one curious. Plenty of men want to know too. But. They're hoping that Odysseus is dead and not alive. Why?! They want a chance at Penelope. They've come to "woo" her. That and to eat and drink a lot at the estate's expense. Telemachus wants it to stop. It angers him to see so many men about the place anxiously trying to become Penelope's new husband. So what can he do about it?

For one, he can set out on a quest of his own to see if he can find traces of his father's story. Because Telemachus has at least one or two gods or goddesses on his side, he is somewhat mostly successful. He hears ALL about the Trojan war. Not just about his father, but, about many men--many soldiers. Including Achilles and Hector and Paris. He also learns that his father survived the war and is trying to come back home.

The second half of the book is about Odysseus' journey back home and how he handled or resolved the situation with all those men chasing after his wife. It is mainly if not exclusively from Odysseus' point of view. Readers see a couple of happy reunions along the way.

Plenty of action and adventure happens in both sections as the war and its aftermath is recounted. It is an interesting read. Parts of it felt very familiar to me. Overall, it was just a pleasant, enjoyable read.

[Carol Bakker]

An excellent retelling for children. The incomparable Simon Vance narrated. Even narrators, it seems, use pen names. In the credits he said "narrated by Robert Whitfield," when I knew the voice was Simon Vance's. Wikipedia confirmed it!

I also enjoyed Willy Pogany's simple, uncluttered pen-and-ink illustrations.

The final paragraph of the book is a fantastic recap. (formatting is mine)

So ends the story of Odysseus who went with King Agamemnon to the wars of Troy;
who made the plan of the Wooden Horse by which Priam's City was taken at last;
who missed the way of his return, and came to the Land of the Lotus-eaters;
who came to the Country of the dread Cyclôpes, to the Island of Æolus and to the house of Circe, the Enchantress;
who heard the song of the Sirens, and came to the Rocks Wandering, and to the terrible Charybdis, and to Scylla, past whom no other man had won scatheless;
who landed on the Island where the Cattle of the Sun grazed, and who stayed upon Ogygia, the home of the nymph Calypso;
so ends the story of Odysseus, who would have been made deathless and ageless by Calypso if he had not yearned always to come back to his own hearth and his own land.

And in spite of all his troubles and his toils he was fortunate,
for he found a constant wife
and a dutiful son
and a father still alive to weep over him.

[Nancy]

What a FANTASTIC version of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. I recommend this even to adults who don't want to put the time into the full versions of both classics. It gives you a great summary that moves a little quicker, obviously. My kids, well... one of them (6) actually loved every minute of it. The other kid (5) tolerated it well and actually followed the events better than I anticipated. She liked hearing the specific tales (Horse, Cyclops, ... the bloody battle) rather than sticking around for it all. She's five. I'll let it slide. My 3-year-old boy just liked any part where there was death and deception. Basically.

I finished the full version of the Odyssey last spring. I felt like this was pretty AWESOME as a children's version.

[Rakisha]

I downloaded the a free audio version and listened to it with my children at bedtime. I had never read the original Homer but I knew of the tale. It was nice to hear the adventures and tales in accessible language.

[grllopez ~ with freedom and books]

Readable and enjoyable introduction to The Iliad and The Odyssey for young people or anyone else who hasn't read Homer.

[Caroline Lancaster]

It was sooo good!!!! I loved the War of Troy and I have heard about the Trojan horse and everything and the war but making all the connections was so like “Ohhh so that’s what that means!” And it was just so so good, I recommend this book to anyone!

[Brittany]

I remember my mom reading this to my younger siblings and me in homeschool. As we neared the end I kept getting flashbacks to our old schoolroom. This time I was reading it to my own kids. I wish Mom were here so we could talk about it!

This retelling of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey is for "children," but it still has battles and gore. The illustrations feel very ancient Greek. They are line drawings and beautiful, except that in half of them the men are naked or have very little on! Especially in the first half. (It didn't show any private body parts, but we found it strange.) I think I would be cold! At least the women were fully clothed in ancient Greek robes.

The language in the book was full of "thees" and "thous," which I thought added to the charm.

[Jessica]

This retelling of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey is so excellent! It’s no wonder it’s a classic children’s novel after more than a century from when it was written. After reading Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey last year, I appreciated this retelling even more because it brought the story to life and helped clarify parts of the epic poems that were harder (for me) to understand. I ended the book looking forward to rereading the epic poems again. 5 stars

[Kim]

Homer adapted for young readers by noted Irish poet perfect for reading aloud.

[Anna Zehr]

A good listen. The images and themes that make Homer timeless are presented in beautiful language in this retelling for children.

[Hannah]

Probably my favorite ancient Greek book I've read so far! It's shorter than the original but well-written and with a great plot! This is a good option if you don't want to read the longer version.

[Monique]

In every line of this retelling, you taste the purple wine and salt of the Aegean.

[Abigail Westbrook]

As one who has never read the Iliad or Odyssey in full, I enjoyed this book as much as my kids did. To my surprise, it kept the attention of even my 5 and 6 year olds, and they were able to narrate the basic plots back to me as we reviewed the chapters each day. There were a few words I had to stop and explain, but overall it is simplified enough for kids to at least get the gist of it - and the language still has a delightful old feel to it. I definitely recommend this book to any family wanting to introduce their kids (or older readers!) to Homer’s timeless classics.

[Amy Meyers]

Scheduled as a read aloud with MFW CTG. old English, but not a problem for us. Travels back and forth in time a bit, as the actual tales of the war of
Troy and Odysseus' adventures are told as stories to other people after the fact. Cuts out Odysseus' time in the underworld, and very little is said about his seven years with the nymph Calypso, which is great for children IMO. It also cuts out what Achilles did to Hector. The art was a neat classic style, but very similar throughout.

2021: Enjoyed it even more on our second time through. Like a true classic, Homer grows with us.

[Amy]

Colum's text and Pogany's illustrations do justice to the epic, ancient feel of the Odyssey and the Iliad while adapting them for child readers. A child who read this at the age of 9 or 10 might want to seek out the epic poems themselves at an older age. If not, they would familiarize themselves with the people and stories that form part of our cultural heritage. Either way, it's worth the effort.

[Alyssa Bohon]

A truly beautiful rendition of Homer. The language is high-toned and the pace is perfect.

I read direct translations of Homer to be well-educated and feel intelligent, but I revisit this gem to live in the story again, one of the best stories of all time, and maybe cry a little at the end because even the shadowy echoes of Christ's second-advent are stunning.

[Jack]

its pretty exiting but they talk kinda wierd. but theres lots of fights and its cool

[Eschargot]

First use of Libby app.

[Mikal Lambdin]

**second reading**
I read this with my 5th grade students and they absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read their book reports!


I really loved this.

[Siobhain]

This is not the first time that I have read this book. Previously, I read it soon after reading and studying the Iliad and the Odyssey. At that time, I felt a bit disappointed about parts of those books which had been left out. If I had rated The Children's Homer then, I'm sure I would have rated it lower. However, knowing those stories but not having them fresh on my mind made me think this was a really fabulous retelling. It hangs together well, starting with the family of Odysseus on Ithaca who have almost given up on him ever returning home, and retelling the story of the defeat of Troy and its heroes and the travels of Odysseus in flashback. I think the bit I missed the most were the insights into life in Troy which were not covered very much at all in this story. However, I still think it's pretty fabulous so no loss of stars. A friend of mine read the Aeneid in a book club, and she said she felt lost. If I had known, I would have suggested that she listen to this before trying the Aeneid to help set the stage.

[Jessica]

This was a really good way to get the story of The Iliad and The Odyssey without spending the time on the actual books. I am glad to have read the original works, but those who want the stories in a shorter version might really enjoy this.

I listened to the audiobook with my 14-year-old son, and while at times the story droned on more than it needed to for a shortened children's version, he said he loved it. When it finished, he initially wanted to then listen to the actual books, but he later recanted. I'm glad, because while I did enjoy them, listening to this abridged version written for younger readers was enough to satisfy my desire for encountering the stories again.

I'd recommend this for older children up through teens and adults, for those who want all the meat of the story without the verbose details.

[Ronda]

I appreciated this as a quick and easy retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey. It's a good way to acquaint or reacquaint yourself with some of the characters in these classics. I got a little bored with it about halfway through and took a long break, but when I picked it up this time and read the account of Odysseus' journey back home, I really enjoyed it. I was especially intrigued by the fact that the name of the Cyclops was Polyphemus, as it is also the name of a beautiful moth that is special to me. Since I hadn't ever really learned Greek mythology and there are so many references to it in our culture, there were several tidbits that made interesting connections for me. Worth my time.

[Drew]

If you've never tackled The Iliad or The Odyssey before, this is a great way to jump into them. Combined into a single narrative, the first half covers the siege and ultimate destruction of Troy, and the second half the journey home of Odysseus.

Although once considered a children's book (think on that while you're reading), it's not at all childish, but rather full of rich, poetic language.

[Tanya]

Fantastic! This is my favorite children’s version of Homer that I’ve read so far. So well done. Love love love the story of Odysseus. Bonus, sometimes now my daughters address me as “My Lady Mother” just like Telemachus! LOL

[What April's Reading]

This is a re-read for us. I love coming around another time to the books I read to my older kids and reading them to my younger ones.

The Children's Homer is a very easy read of Odysseus' adventures. Simple drawings are scattered through the book.
I would recommend for grades 4 or 5 and up.

[sch]

Rereading this paraphrase before teaching Homer for the first time.

Kindle edition lacks illustrations.

[Maribeth Barber]

I read this as a refresher course on the Homeric myths. It did the job!